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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29260932">i should not care but i don't know how</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline'>imadetheline</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Breathe In, Breathe Out [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, FebuWhump2021, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Poisoning, Whump, again not very whumpy, sorry - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:00:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,818</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29260932</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>febuwhump day seven - poisoning</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luke Skywalker &amp; Han Solo, Luke Skywalker/Han Solo, could be read as - Relationship, if you wanted</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Breathe In, Breathe Out [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140389</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>febuwhump 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i should not care but i don't know how</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>title from organs by of monsters and men</p><p>hey look a rare not-luke-and-darth-vader fic. that probably means this won't get as much attention but this prompt was being frustrating for some reason and I liked writing Han and Luke's dynamic once I started so here it is anyway</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hey, Han?” Luke whispers from behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han doesn’t look back, scanning the bar patrons, “Yeah, kid?” They’re supposed to meet a contact here about a weapons deal. And of course, the Rebellion had sent him because, as they put it, he was ‘experienced with illegal meetups and unsavory characters.’ He’d scowled at that, but they weren’t exactly wrong, and Leia’s smirk had said she’d been the one to tell them that. And then Luke had volunteered to come along, and that had been it. So now they’re here, late afternoon, entering a very seedy bar. And that’s saying something because Han has frequented a lot of bars in his time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” comes Luke’s voice from behind him again, and he finally catches sight of the kid’s face in the dim lighting as he steps forward to stand at Han’s side. He’s grimacing as he looks around at the dirt and grime coating the walls and floor and the other patrons' not subtle gazes looking them over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han feels the same way, but then he spots the man they’re supposed to be meeting tucked into a booth near the back. “Yes,” is all he says, and he tugs on Luke’s arm as he makes his way over to the man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiles as they approach, and Han immediately does not like him, and he trusts his gut over everything. But they’re here for a reason; the Rebellion needs the weapons he’s selling. He waves them into the darkened booth and holds out his hand, “Jossal,” he introduces himself. “I assume you’re here for the weapons.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han flashes a smile, “You assume correctly.” He can feel Luke roll his eyes next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jossal grins back, his gaze flashing to Luke quickly before returning to Han, “Excellent gentlemen. But first, drinks.” Han suppresses a frown and shifts a little closer to Luke, hoping the kid doesn’t notice. He doesn’t need his uncaring reputation to slip, but that glance can only mean trouble. He just wants to get this over with, get the weapons, and get back to Chewie and the Falcon. “On me, of course,” Jossal says, still smiling as he waves to the bartender. The man grunts and reaches for a glass. Han shudders to think about how clean they are.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then Jossal is looking them over again, “I didn’t get your names.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han is so very tempted to say ‘we didn’t give them,’ but Luke elbows him in the side, and he hides a scowl. They need this to go well, so, “Han.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke follows his lead, “Luke,” and doesn’t say his last name. Han’s glad the kid’s learned </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> subtlety. They don’t need word getting out the kid who destroyed the death star is on some backwater planet in a rundown pub, especially because Han is sure this Jossal would try to turn Luke in for the reward without a second thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then three drinks are being set down in front of them. The glasses are… cleaner than expected, and the liquid is a murky brown. Luke looks down at his doubtfully, but Han just shrugs and picks his up. Maybe alcohol will make these negotiations faster. He swallows the brown liquid, and it’s certainly not good, but it’s not the worst thing Han has ever had. He takes another sip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sees Luke experimentally sniff at it, wrinkling his nose, and Han can’t help his smile. Luke sees it and frowns. And then he takes a large gulp, smirking at Han as if this proves Luke can handle alcohol (He’s already proven he can’t, and this does nothing to convince Han). In fact, the smuggler’s grin only grows. He gives it five seconds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And sure enough, five seconds later, Luke is coughing into his arm, half gagging, and his glare is almost on par with Leia’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jossal sets down his drink, chuckling, and leans forward, “Now, my friends, shall we discuss price?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han leans back, throwing on his best sabacc face, and smirks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>&lt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jossal is a kriffing bastard. These negotiations are taking way too long. Han just wants to punch him. Luke is slumping in the seat next to him, his drink half-drunk in front of him. Han has drained his twice over. It’s the only thing helping him through this right now. The man keeps demanding insane prices, and they just keep going in circles. If he thought Leia wouldn’t kill him for messing up this deal, he would have just whipped out his blaster and shot the man. But then Luke probably wouldn’t let him either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although, he’s not sure Luke would be up to stopping him either. He keeps rubbing at his temples and squinting even though the dim lighting in the bar hasn’t brightened. In fact, it’s gotten a bit darker as night falls and people crowd in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have a new offer,” Jossal speaks again, drawing Han’s attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han can’t help but laugh humorlessly, “Oh really?” He reaches for his drink again and feels Luke slump a little bit more in the seat. The kid really needs to get more sleep than he has been if he’s this tired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” And Jossal’s smirking again, leaning back, and Han swears if whatever Force mumbo jumbo Luke spouts was true, then he’d be able to feel the malice dripping off him. “Double what I asked for” --Han scoffs-- “for the antidote to the poison your friend is having problems with.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han starts violently, glancing at Luke’s glazed stare, already reaching for the kid’s drink. He raises it to his nose, sniffing… And drops it immediately, his blaster raised in an instant, anger flaring as he stands. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>bastard</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I’ll-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not so fast,” And Jossal’s still grinning, kriff him. “I don’t have the antidote on me. It’s with my partner. If you kill me, you’ll never get it, and your little friend here-” he flicks his gaze to Luke, who is clearly out of it and unaware of everything happening, and Han wants to rip Jossal’s eyes from his skull, “will die. So I suggest you sit back down.” The man is far too pleased with himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han stares at him, rage boiling. How dare he- But Luke is still sitting in the booth, skin pale, eyes close to shutting. Han sits down. He’s going to kill Jossal once he has the antidote.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good, here’s the account number. Transfer the credits.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han takes an extra moment to glare at Jossal as he hears his comm beep with the number. A few years ago, he would have shot Jossal and left, but now… He curses himself and whatever Luke and Leia and their stupid rebellion have managed to do to him and his self-preservation instincts. He growls and pulls out the comm, transferring the credits. Leia’s going to kill him for not getting the weapons, but at least he knows she’ll be glad to have Luke back. The poor kid looks like he’s gonna topple sideways unconscious any minute. How did Han not notice? He should have checked their drinks. He should have walked out the minute he saw Jossal smile. He should have-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The list goes on, but he needs to focus. He types the numbers into his comm and looks back up at Jossal, “Okay, now give me the antidote.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jossal presses a button on his own comm, and a strained minute later, in which Luke tips his head onto Han’s shoulder, another man arrives, pushing through the other patrons. He tosses a hypospray at the table, and Han strains to catch it without jostling Luke. He glances over it, trying to assess if it’s actually the antidote, but it’s not like he has any way of knowing. Jossal interrupts, and Han’s getting real tired of it, “It’s the real antidote. I have no quarrel with you. I have what I wanted.” Jossal grins at the other man and then pushes himself out of the booth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han reaches for his blaster again, but so does the other man. And seeing as his arm is not partially trapped beneath a poisoned farm boy, he’s faster. Han slowly lowers his hand. Jossal gives a casual salute, “Nice doing business with you,” and then he and his partner are disappearing into the crowds of people and dim lighting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Han almost throws his blaster to the table, shifting Luke so he can jam the hypospray into his neck. Luke’s eyes flicker open at the injection, and he winces. “Sorry, kid. I- Kriff.” And that starts a long line of curses in every language he’s ever heard as he hauls the kid from the booth, slinging one of Luke’s arms around his shoulders and pushing through the crowded bar to the street outside. He would normally go after Jossal, but Luke should still receive some medical attention to be safe, so back to the Falcon it is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once he’s out of breath, and curses they’re already halfway down the street, and Luke huffs out a quiet laugh by his ear. Han turns to look at him, the moonlight catching on Luke’s golden hair and reflected in his still hazy blue eyes, and he doesn’t know what he’d do if he lost him. “I don’t really remember much of what happened in there, but I do know you’re lucky Leia didn’t hear that tirade.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Han smiles despite everything because just Luke has that effect on people, “Kid, that is the least of the reasons why I’m glad Leia was not here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke laughs, and his voice is stronger now, “That bad, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know us. When is it not?” But they’re both smiling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fair point.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chewie roars out his displeasure when they stumble into the Falcon and when he contacts them, the Rebellion is far from happy about the money they lost without actually getting any of the weapons. But let no one say Han is not smart. He did have the brains to embed a tracking signal code into the credit transfer. They’ll track him down eventually. And then Han’s going to have words with the bastard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before they even make it out of the Falcon back on the base, Leia is marching up the ramp to berate them both for their combined stupidity and ability to find trouble, among other things. But then she pulls Luke into her arms and sends Han a thankful glance over his shoulder, and her words ring hollow. Han’s not the only one going soft. He thinks Luke is definitely to blame, though. Maybe his hope and self-sacrificing stupidity are contagious. It’s the only explanation for why he wraps his arms around both Luke and Leia, Chewie behind them, as they walk out of the Falcon. Han doesn’t know what family is, but he likes to think it’s this, smiling wide and laughing together despite the war raging on around them.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you guys liked it leave a comment. They make my day! Seriously I love reading them so please leave me one cause they motivate me to write more! if you guys have ideas for other stories send me an ask on tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imadetheline">here</a> or just yell about stuff with me. Info about me and all my other tumblrs are <a href="https://infoabtmaddie.carrd.co/#">here</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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